Rail-joint



(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 1.

M. C. NILES.

RAIL JOINT.

No. 438,707. Patented'Oot. 21, 1890.

I l j I A m wmwwwmri (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

M. 0. NILES.

' RAIL JOINT.

No. 438,707, Patented Oct. 21, 1890.

(No Model.) a Sheets-Sheet 3.

M. 0. NILES.

RAIL JOINT.

' No. 438.707. Patented 00c. .21, 1890 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

MILTON C. NILES, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 438,707, dated October 21, 1890.

Application filed May 3, 1890- Serial No. 350,481. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MILTON 0. Firms, of Oak Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of rail-joints in which the chair or base-plate of the joint is secured so as to support the rails by means of lateral pressure obtained through the medium of screw-bolts working through the medium of the baseplate and bearing directly or indirectly against the rails.

The prime object of this invention is to have a joint of such a character that when tightened the strain upon the parts thereof will be evenly distributed and the parts maintained in proper relation to each other.

Other objects are to relieve the chair or base-plate of a portion of the weight upon the rail, and to provide certain novel details of construction in the carrying out of my invention, and for obtaining these desirable ends, all as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 represents a plan view of the meet ing ends of a pair of rails, showing a joint applied thereto embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section thereof on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; Fig. 3, a transverse vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1,1ooking in the direction indicated by the arrows, showing the joint finally tightened in its operative position; Fig. at, a similar view to Fig. 3, showing the joint applied to the rail before being tightened; Fig. 5, a similar view showing the initial tightening of the joint; Fig. 6, a detailed perspective view of the chair or base-plate Fig. 7, a similar view of the wedgeplate; Figs. 8 and 9, similar views of the lockbar and the wedge, respectively; Fig. 10, a plan view of a modified form of my improved new joint; and Fig. 11, a transverse vertical section thereof upon the line 11 11, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A indicates the chair or base-plate provided along each side edge thereof with upturned angular portions or flanges B G, extending parallel with the rails, which chair is of sutliciently greater width between the upturned portions thereof than the width of the rail-flanges to permit of a lateral movement of the chair relative to the rail. Through one of the upturned portions or chairflangessay the flange Bloosely work two or more bolts D, hearing at their inner ends in sockets E, provided in a brace-plate F, fitting between the fiange and top of the rails against the web thereof. Each of these bolts is screw-threaded between the chair-flange and its inner end, and Works through a screwthreaded hole in a binding-plate G, the lower edge of which, as illustrated in Fig. 3, bears upon the top of the rail-flange and is beveled or inclined to correspond with the bevel or incline of the upper surface of said'flange. It will thus be seen that by manipulating the screw-bolt D the position of the binding-plate with relation to the rail may be readily adj usted, this plate in effect serving the purpose of an overhanging hook or shoulder along the edge of the chair, as illustrated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3 of the drawings; andI may here state that so far as relates to the broad idea of my invention the bolt D, binding-plate G, and brace-plate F may be dispensed with and a rigid hook or overhanging flange, as illustrated, substituted therefor; but the use of these members is preferred, because by merely using a larger or smaller binding-plate the same chair may be employed for rails of different dimensions, besides which the braceplate is held firmly in position, so as to serve rail through the chair-flange 0 work two or more bolts H, screw-threaded upon that portion working or bearing in the chair-flange, but preferably square throughout the rem ainder of its length, and having an end bearing in a socket I, provided in an angular wedged plate J, formed to fit against the flange and web of the rail. lhis plate upon the horizontal portion thereof-that is to say, the portion resting upon the flange of the railis provided upon the upper face thereof and preferably near the outer edge with a wedgeseat K, upon which fits a wedge L, having a lower face corresponding in contour withthe wedge-seat and an upper face fiat, so as to bear against the square or flattened portion of the bolts H or to form a seat for a lockbar M, consisting of a thin metallic bar of malleable metal, having an angular end or shoulder N adapted to fit against the end of the wedge and of sufficient length to have its opposite end project beyond the bolt H farthest from the entering end, so as to be bent up, as illustrated at O in Fig. 2, and thus effectually lock the wedge upon its seat.

In practice the bolts H are preferably located in different planes, so as to permit of the insertion of the wedge; but obviously the bolts might be located in the same plane and the wedge-plate be inclined so as to accomplish the same end.

I11 the practical application of my joint, when applied to the rails before being tightened, the parts will assume substantially the position illustrated in Fig. l, in which all of the parts, except the wedge and lock-bar, are shown in position for tightening, the bolts II bearing against the bottom of the sockets in the wedge-plate, while the bolts D just engage the sockets in the brace-plate. In the initial tightening operation the bolts H alone are manipulated, and by reason of their end bearing and the screw-thread connection between them and the chair cause the latter to move laterally or sidewise with relation to the rails, forcing the ends of the bolts D home in their sockets and wedging the flange of the rail tightly between the binding-plate and the chair until no further movement of the parts takes place, when they assume the position illustrated in Fig. 5. 7

It will be observed that the chair has fallen away from the rail-flange along the side upon which the wedge-plate is located, which result actually occurs in practice and is due to the action of the binding-plate, which operates somewhat in the nature of a fulcrum upon which the chair is caused to swing in its latnot rotate, but are effectually locked in the position in which they are set; and I may here state that while a lock to maintain this wedge upon its seat is not absolutely essential the use of the lock-bar is preferred because of the greater security obtained without adding to the expense of the joint. Nor is the employment of the brace-plate F and the wedge-plate J a necessity to the successful operation of my joint so far as the broad idea of my invention is concerned, for, as illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11, these plates may be dispensed with and the bolts D and H, as well as the wedge, bear directly against the rails, in which suitable sockets may be provided for the bolts, as in the plates; but the employment of these plates is preferred not only for convenience and be cause with them the rails need not be socketed, but also because these plates subserve all of the purposes of the ordinary fish-plates and relieve the chair or base-plate of a large part of the strain due to the weights of a passing train upon the rail-joint, which would otherwise fall entirely to the chair. Obviously an end bearing for the screw-bolts is necessary, in order that they may gain the desired purchase for resisting both the lateral strain and the vertical pressure of the wedge and binding plate, and this end bearing must be against the rails either indirectly by the interposition of the brace and wedge plates or directly by dispensing with these members; but in either case the end bearing is against the rails, and is broadly so expressed in the claims; and so, also, with the binding-plates, through the medium of which the chair indirectly engages the flange of the rail, although broadly considered this plate may be dispensed with and the chair directly engage the flange of the rails, as illustrated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a rail-joint, the combination, with the rails and the chair engaging the rail-flange at one side thereof, of screw-bolts working through said chair at the opposite side of the rail, having an end bearing against the rail, and a wedge fitting between said bolt and the rail-flange, substantially as described.

2. In a rail-joint, the combination, with the rails and the chair engaging the rail-flange at one side thereof, of bolts working through said chair, having an end bearing, a wedge fitting between said bolts and the rail-flange, and a lock-bar interposed between said wedge and the bolts, substantially as described.

3. In a rail-joint, the combination, with the rails, the chair engaging the rail-flange at one side thereof, and the wedge-plate upon the opposite side of the rail, of the screw-bolt working through said chair, having an end bearing against said wedge-plate, and the wedge fitting between said plate and the bolts, substantially as described.

4. In a rail-joint, the combination,with the IIO rails, the chair engaging the flange of the rails at one side thereof, and the wedge-plate at the opposite side of the rail, of the bolts working through the chair and having an end bearing against said Wedge-plate, the Wedge confined between said plate and the bolts, and the lock-bar interposed between said wedge and the bolts, substantially as described.

5. In a rail-joint, the combination,with the chair provided with the upturned side flanges, of opposing screw-bolts working through said flanges and having an end bearing against the rail of the binding-plate, and the Wedge, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. In a rail-joint, the combination, with the chair provided with upturned side flanges and'opposing screw-bolts Working through said flanges and having an end bearing, of the binding-plate, the Wedge, and the lockbar, substantially as described.

7. In a rail-joint, the combination, with the rails, the brace-plate, the wedge-plate, the chair provided with upturned side flanges, and bolts Working through said flanges and having an end bearing against said brace and wedge plates, of the binding-plate and the wedge, substantially as described.

8. In a rai1-joint, the combination, with the rails, the brace-plate, the wedge-plate, the chair provided with upturned side flanges, and bolts working through said flanges, having an end bearing against said brace and wedge plates, of the binding-plate, the Wedge, and the lock-bar, substantially as described.

9. In a rail-joint, the combination, with the rails, the chair provided with upturned side flanges, opposing screw-bolts, one set of which work loosely through one of said flanges and both sets of which have an end bearing, of a binding-plate having a screw-thread connection with said loose-working bolts and bearing upon the rail-flange upon one side there of, and a wedge fitting between the rail-flange and the bolts at the opposite side thereof, substantially as described.

10. In a rail-joint, the combination, with the rails and the chair provided with upturned side flanges, of opposing bolts working through said flanges and having end bear ings, and the binding-plate provided with screw-threaded holes through which one set of said bolts work, substantially as described.

MILTON C. NILES Witnesses:

R. O. OMOHUNDRO, A MILO BENNETT. 

